Junior Pool C attracts the heavy hitters in D54 all-stars

The new pool play format for District 54 all-star tournaments will make things very interesting in the junior division bracket, where Pool C seems to be loaded as teams work towards getting one of the top two spots in their pool that will allow an advance to the double-elimination finals.Pool C includes traditional front-runner Woodcreek along with an El Dorado Hills North team in which this group of 14-year-olds won the major tourney two years ago. Joining those two squads are a very talented Maidu team and an always-interesting team from Folsom National.All four local leagues have teams in the junior field, and all four have hopes of getting out of pool play and into the double-elimination final round.MaiduThe merger of Maidu and Roseville East Little Leagues prior to this season give this year's teams a whole new look. The Maidu junior team combines a strong nucleus of older players with an energetic and fast combination of 13-year-olds."I feel we have a great opportunity to play well and advance deep into this bracket," said Maidu manager Sean Harrigan. "The merger of these two leagues has definitely deepened the talent pool heading into the Little League postseason."Maidu will lean on a pitching staff that includes Michael Schmitt, Logan Coggeshall and Kyle Mott, while Coggeshall, James Lunardelli, Tino Loconte and Kyle Sprague headline the offense. Harrigan's group is also blessed with an abundance of world-class baseball speed, and he will look to use that to his advantage in each matchup."Base running will be a key," Harrigan said. "We have premier base stealers in Robert Walton, Scotty Walton and Zachary Lilley."Having played an inter-league schedule that included the teams from Tournament of Champions finalists Roseville West and Woodcreek, the Maidu player are well aware of what is required to make a run. The Maidu regular season champs are fresh off a thumping at the hands of Woodcreek's entry in the TOC, and that will drive them when the two leagues meet in Saturday's opener.WoodcreekManager Mike Valdez is expecting big things from his crew, led by pitchers Stephen Nogosek and Tyler Milani."The Woodcreek Junior team should be pretty dominating this year," Valdez said. "We have three boys that got a lot of playing time for the high school team this year in Joey Valdez, Derek Guerra and Bobby Pajer."Tournament experience is the big advantage Woodcreek brings to the table, and Mike Valdez will look to draw on that."Joey Dirkes, Nogosek, Joey Valdez and George Corp all played on the 9/10 team that went to the championships versus North Vallejo but came up short," Mike Valdez said. "Our 13-year-olds on this team also have been playing together since they were 10 years old."Valdez is looking forward to giving the new pool play format a try, but he is also leery of its impact on a team's pitching decisions."The new pool play is good for the kids getting more games in but it also hurts a team's pitching" Valdez said. "Woodcreek is in the toughest pool division with El Dorado Hills North being the toughest competitor in the last three years. Maidu and Folsom National always have competitive teams as well."LakesideLakeside is in Pool A with typically strong Folsom American and also two of the district's smaller league - Divide and Snowline. That should be a situation that plays well for the young men from Granite Bay."We should be strong up the middle and fast in the outfield," said Lakeside manager Jon Ellis. "Look for an aggressive team swinging the bats."The Lakeside team is led by Will George, Anthony Pedersen, Joe Ellis, Marc Ellis and Billy Haynes."Lakeside's Junior all-star team will face stiff competition in this year's tournament," Ellis said. "We feel that all of our players are key to our success. Everyone must play well, with few errors and we must be strong swinging the bat."Roseville WestAfter its top regular season team captured the district Tournament of Champions, Roseville West enters all-star play on a roll, and looking to build on that success."We are loaded with power from top to bottom and go deep in the pitching pool as well, said Roseville West manager Dave Yackovich. "With standout hurlers such as A.J. Hall, Roman Martinez and ambidextrous pitcher Marcus Garcia we will not have a problem on the mound at all."This team sits in Pool B, with another of the district's traditional powers, El Dorado Hills South and also two teams from the Placerville Area in Ponderosa and Gold Rush. Yackovich feels that his team has been built for success, with a focus on selecting players who fit well together."This group of boys is not comprised of the so-called 'best' players in the league rather they are the best players for the team," Yackovich said. "There are no weak spots throughout the line up at all. I was running a mock lineup the other day and it was extremely easy to go from top to bottom. I could have picked names out of a hat and filled the lineup that way if I had to."The Roseville West outfield is very good at making its opponents play station-to-station baseball, and Yackovich says his infield plays the game the right way."Defensively we have gems at every position on the field," Yackovich said. "With a very fast and capable outfield, extra bases will be hard to come by for our opponents. The infield is rock solid all the way around and the boys as group play smart baseball."The junior division tourney is being played at Union Mine High School up the hill in El Dorado, beginning with pool play games on Saturday at 10 a.m.FYI:What: District 54 Major all-star tournamentWhere: McFarland Park, FolsomSaturday: Lakeside vs. Snowline, 10 a.m. (field one); Roseville West vs. Ponderosa, 10 a.m. (field two); Maidu vs. Woodcreek, 1 p.m. (field one). For daily results and schedules, come back often to rosevillept.com.